Telegraphic distribution.



H. A. ROWLAND, Decd.

Patented IuIy I5, I902.

H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix.

TELEGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

(Application filedJuly 24, 1901.)

(lo Model.)

V II) Shaets-Sheet I.

JMWEZa-w/ J ,MLZIZM SHOT/nu e) FIG. 4..

No. 704,928. Pafented July I5, I902.

H. A. ROWLAND, Decd.

H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix.

TELEGBAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

(Application filed July 24, 1901.)

(No Model.) I0 Sheets -Sheet 2.

No. 704,928. Patented July 15, I902.

H. A. ROWLANIQ, Decd.

H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix.

' TELEGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

(Application filed .Iul 24, 1.901.)

(No Model.) l0 Sheets-Sheet 3,

owadlblz loww Vibneooco (No Model.)

' Patented July [5, I902. H. A. ROWLAND, Decd. 7

, H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix. TELEGRAPI'IIC DISTRIBUTION.

(Applicatidn filed July '24, 1901.)

I0 Sheets-Sheet 4;

(No Model.)

H. A. ROWLAND, Decd.

H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix. TELEGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

(Application filed July 24, 1901.)

Patented luly No. 704,928. Patented July l5, I902.

- H. A. ROWLAND, Decd. H. H. ROWLAND. Administrairix.

TELEGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

n Modem 7 (Application filed July 24, 1901.) I0 Sheets$heet 6 "0.704328. Patented July l5, I902.

H. A. ROWLAND, Decd.

H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix.

TELEGRAPH") DISTRIBUTION.

(Application filed July 24, 1901.)

l0 Sheets-Sh get 7.

N E H I 121404000 21 s M025 No. 704,928. I Patented luly l5, I902.

H. A. ROWLAND, Decd.

H. H. ROWLAND. Administrairix.

TELEGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.

- (Application filed July 2g, 1901.1 (In Model.) [0 Sheets-Sheet s,

(lo lodol.)

H. A. ROWLAND, Decd.

H. H. ROWLAND. Administratrix.

TELEGRAPH": DISTRIBUTIUN.

(Application fllod m 24, 1901.)

AAAAA AA Paiented luly l5, I902.

l0 Sheets-Sheet 9.

I J3 3 W4 HUME] FIEUF] GEE?) K l f UNITED STATES- PATENT OF ICE.

HENRIETTA H. ROWLAND, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ADMlNIS'I-RATRIX or HENRY A. ROWLAND, DECEASED, ssIe OR 'ro RO LAND TELE- GRAPHIC COMPANY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A C RP RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TELEGRAPHIC ols'releu'rlou,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 704,9 28, dated July 1.5, 1992.

Application filed July 24, 1901.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that HENRY A. ROWLAND, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraphic Distribution, (Case I,) of which the following is afull, clear, and exact specification, such as will enable any one skilled in the art to manufacture and use thesame.

'This invention relates to improvements in systems of telegraphic distribution, and more particularly to such distribution as applied to central and substation intercommunication.

The present invention contemplates a system for the collection of messages at a central station from substations located in various parts of a large city or the collection of messages in a city from substations located in outlying districts or from points located at long distances and the transmission of messages from the central station to th substations. This distribution of. the m ssages is efiectedby locating at central and at various substations current distributing devices which bring the substations successively into communication with central atrapidly-recursimultaneously receive messages from all of them, or several operators at central may send messages to several correspondingsubstations simultaneously and at the same time, record at central the messages transmitted/ This is also true'withrespect to the substations. Eachcan simultaneouslytransmitand receive messages or can alone transmit or receive, and the messages sent from any station Berislllo; 69,628. (No model.)

may be recorded at that station as they are transmitted. Furthermore, one transmitting a message may alsorecord the message transsimultaneously. Furthermore; in any of the 1 foregoing cases each substation may haveits corresponding separate main-line transmitting and receiving apparatus located at central, Ora single main-line transmitter and receiver may be used at central for a plurality of substations.

The present invention also contemplates the reduction of the line-wires to a minimum or the ,use of only one line from each substation to central; but it is not beyond the scope of this invention to multiply these lines if found advisable to do so. lines between the central and sub stations may besimplex or simple lines, or it longer may be of the reflected-wave type, the term reflected wave being used to designate a line on which messages may be transmitted and received from both ends with a source of line- A current located at only one end, and is used in cases where the. distance Is too great for To this end, the

this to be accomplished by the ordinary untwo signals may be sent at absolutely the same instant in opposite directions. In any of the above cases the lines may be multiplexed. Moreover, the invention contemplates telegra'phicintercommunication, in

the manner above set forth, by means of alternatiug or other periodically-varying electric currents and is so designed that a single alternating-current dynamo or other source of alternating or other periodic currents locatedat the central station will be suflicient for all of the messages transmitted or received,

,however great maybe the number of substaequivalents may be located at the substations to -eiiiect the duplexing. Furthermore, the alternating o'r periodically-varying current may, by maintaining the synchronism of the distributing apparatus,be employed for eflfecting the distribution of messages transmitted by a current of any character. 'For the purpose of describing the presentinvention, however, it will be assumed that the messages are impressed upon a line, received, and printed in page or other form by means of synchronously-operated mechanism, substantially as shown and described in the United States Patent application of Henry A. Rowland for Improvements in telegraphy, (Case G,) filed June 4, 1900, and serially numbered 19,070. Reference will be made also to the United States Patent applications of Henry A. Rowland'for Improvements in systems of telegraphic distribution, (Case J filed July 24, 1901, Serial No. 69,524, Patent No. 699,574, granted May 6, 1902; Improvements in telegraphic page-printers, (Case K,) filed July 24, 1901, Serial No. 69,525, Patent No. 699,575, granted May 6, 1902; Improvements in-keyboards for telegraph-lines, (Case L,) filed July 24, 1901, Serial No. 69,526, and to other United States applications of Henry A. Rowland relating to improvements in telegraphy and which will be referred to more particularly hereinafter.

Special cases illustrating the principles of the presentinvention are shown in the ac; companying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is adiagram representing one principle of intercommunication between the centhe substations.

tral station and four substations. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the relation of the central distributing apparatus to that located at Fig. 3 is a diagram further representing the same, but in which all of the substations do not receive messages'at the same rate or speed. Fig. 4 is adiagram representing the circuits and connections of one form of central receiving and distributing flower-trailers.

station adapted to receive and distribute messages from and to four substations. Fig. 5 is a diagram representing the circuits and apparatus located at a substation. diagram representing the circuits and appathat shownin Fig. '5. Fig. 7 is a, diagram illustrating the principle of setting the sun- Fig. 8 is a diagram representing the principle of intercommunication between-a central station and a plurality of substations in which .a single main-line receiving-relay and transmitter is employedat central for allot the substations. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing one 'way of balancing the lines. Fig. 9 isa diagram representing the circuits and apparatus of acentral station operating upon the principle shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a skeleton diagram showing a cen- Fig. 6 is a.

tral station which may communicate with any number of substations. Fig. 11 is a diagram representing the circuits and connection of the transmitting apparatus of the central station indicated in Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a diagram representing the circuits and connections oi! the receiving apparatus of thecentral station, also indicated in Fig. 10.

Similar letters and numerals refer to simi lar parts throughout the several views.

Reference will first be had to the case in which there is intercommunication between a central and four substations, four substations being selected for the sake of clearness in the description, as it will be shown hereinafter that these substations. are not confined to that number. This case is illustrated in one form in Figs. 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and in another form in Figs. 8 and 9.

Referring first to Fig. 1, -A represents the central station, and A A A and A four substations connected with the central by the lines 13,, B5, B and B,, respectively. All'of these lines are supplied with current of any periodically-varying character from a single source 0 at central, which source is preferably an alternating-current dynamo having one of its terminals connected to earth and the other to the branch lines and impressing upon these lines an'electromotive force of sine wave or approximately sine-wave form,

though'it must be understood other forms of current may be used when desired. Inaddition to other parts each branch line is .pro

vided at central in this case with a main-line transmitter and a main-line receiving polarized relay, the transmitters being indicated by B, B B and B and the receiving-relays D, D", D, and D respectively. The lines at the substations are each provided with a transmitter B and a receiving polarized relay D. The receiving-relays at central are each provided with a difierential winding, one coil of which is traversed by current which flows in the real line and the other by current which flows in an artificial line B", made up of sufficient self-induction, resistance, and capacity to enable it to balance the main-line charge reflected back to the dynamowhenthe main line is disconnected from ground. At the substations the receiving-relays have single windings,and the current of the real line no1- mally passes directly through their coils and .through the contact of the transmitter to earth. All of the main-line receiving-relays are herein shown as-polar relays, though neutral relays may be substituted in such cases, as may be desired. For illustrating the prin-- ciple of this invention it will be assumed that the function of these relays and transmitters is the same as described with reference to similar parts in the patent application Case G, above referred to--that is, the transmitters act to break or otherwise alter the main-' definite number-two, for example-of the or signal, and thus to bring the tongue of? the relay adapted to receive the signal (normally kept vibrating by the periodic linecurrent) to rest, and in this manner causing the said relay to act upon apparatus which will record the signal thus transmitted. These transmitters may be of any desired form to properly efiect the modification of the line-current, the invention not being limited to the specific form herein shown, which is the common form of circdit-breakin g transmitter well known in the art.- Alsothe linerelays may in some cases be neutral instead of polarized, as shown. Upon the installa- 4 tion of each line its centralline-receivingrelay is balanced by so adjusting the artificial line that when the real line is broken at the substation-transmitter contact, which disconnects the line from earth,this relay-tongue will be brought to rest and that upon closing the contact will commence to vibrate again. If the artificial line be not used, the capacity of the real line would in case the line were any other than avery short one prevent the operation of the substation-transmitter from having any useful efiect upon the central relay. This adjustment once made does not require alterationon account of moderate changes in the insulation of the line due to weather variations, as it depends almost its action will be more readily understood if we consider especially that the line is made up of distributed capacity, in which case theelectricity sent out by the dynamo in one direction will charge the line, say, positively, and when the electromotive force of the dy-' namo falls to zero the line will then discharge and send a portion of its positive charge back to the dynamo, which will be the so-called reflected wave. In respect to this reflected portion the artificial line balances the relay at the dynamo end of the line. This relay is kept normally vibrating by that portion of the real-line current which is not reflected back and which passes to earth by the transmitter-contact. If, therefore, this relay be balanced for the portion of the line charge reflected back, then opening the substationtransmitter contact will leave the centralstation relay balanced, and its tongue will not vibrate.

The central station.-Referring to Fig. 4, which represents diagrammatically one form of the apparatus and connections of a central stationsuch, for example, as indicated in -ing anticlockwise.

conjunction with any suitable transmitting 1-'E representsa transmitting-current distributor or sunflower, which, operating in devices-suchfor example, as four keyboards 1 2 3 4-acts to distribute current from the local source to the transmitters B B B B at such times as to allow them to transmit messages to their respective substations. This transmitting-sunflower comprises in the case illustrated fifty-six metallic segments of equal width, over which is adapted to sweep a trailer 6, which is driven in synchronism with the dyname at such a speed that for each segment of the sunflower passed over by the said trailer a complete impulse willbe generated by the dynamo, or, in other words, for each complete revolution of the trailer around the sunflower the dynamo will generate fifty-six complete impulses or semicycles. This trailer e may be geared to the dynamo, driven directly by it, or'driven in auy other suitable way so long as.it rotates in synchronism with it and is electrically connected in any suitable manner to the positive pole Xof the local directcurrent supply. The segments of this sunflower are divided in the case illustrated into four groups of fourteen segments in each group, the number of groups in this case corresponding to the number of substations.

The segments in the upper left-hand quadrant of the sunflower will be designated the first group, and the other groups the second, third, and fourth, respectively, count- In each group the shaded or fourteenth segment is employed as the separating-segment between the groups and is' generally idle as contiguous segments of adjacent groups cannot always be used in the combinations necessary to transmit the messages, especially when suppressing the impulses, the reason for this being fully explained in the application Case G, above referred to. The first eleven segments preferably of each group are connected to eleven contacts of the four respective keyboards, the construction and operation of these keyboards being also fully. described in the application Case G and in a more improved form in the application Case L, above referred to. Any'suitable circuit making and breaking devices may, however, be substituted for these keyboards. Throughout the accompanying drawings the keyboards will be represented each by a single key, each of which is provided with two normally open contacts 5, which are permanently connected to two corresponding segments of each group of the sunflower E, and each key is permanently electrically connected to the positive terminal of its respective transmitter; key 1 to transmitter B, key 2 to transmitter B and so on. Also, as described in each of the applications just referred to, each keyboard is provided with the locking-clapper 6 and clapper-magnet 7, the plus terminals of which latter are connected to separate segments, respectively, of the four-part clapper-distributer E, the trailer e of which is connected to the positive pole X of the source of local direct current and sweeps around the distributer in the direction of the arrow in synchronism with the dynamo, being driven in any convenient manner. This distributer E distributes eurrent to the clapper-magnets successively in such order that the different keyboards may be operated at such times only as they will not interfere with the others, which will hereinafter more fully appear. The negative terminals of the clapper-magn et coils all connect to a common wire 8, which passes to the negative pole X. of the source of local direct current.'

One or more segments each of the groups of transmitting-sunflower segments are connected to separate signaling push-buttons or equivalent devices 1, 2, 3', and 4, which operate the transmitters,which in turn suppress impulses on the line, thereby actuating siging groups and order.

nal-bells or other signaling apparatus at thesubstations. Also a segment of each group of the transmitting-sunflower segments is perman ntly connected to the positive wire leading 0 its respective transmitter, (see Fig. 7,) so that each time the trailer sweeps over one of them the transmitter corresponding to the group in which that segment is located will out out or otherwise modify an impulse of the line-current. The object of this is to effect the proper setting of the trailers at the substations, which will be hereinafter more fully described. This thirteenth segment will be hereinafter designated the letter-findersegment. Also located at central is a receiving-current distribute'r or sunflower F, having the same number of segments as the transmit ting-sunflower E and arranged in correspond- This receiving-sunflower is provided also with a trailer f, which sweeps over its segments at a speed definitely related to that of the trailer of the sendingsunflowers at the substations and is driven by the dynamo or in any other suitable way. The first eleven segments preferably of each group of receiving-sunflower segments are connected to the positive terminals' o'f the coils of a group or bank of printer selectingrelays G, G G and G only two segments of each group of eleven being shown con-' nected to the selecting-relays in Fig. 4, as this is sufiicient to illustrate the principle of the invention. These selecting-relays may record the messages in any suitable manner, as by operating type-printing machines, which they do in a manner fully set forth in the patent application Case G, above referred to, and which ,need notbe at present described in detail, it being suificient to say that for each signal received two selectingrelays of each group will be acted upon by having the current in the segment-circuits connected to them reversed as the trailer of the sunflower passes over the segments corresponding to the particular signal transmit- -D, D 1), and D.

-,current-distributer F.

ted. The negative terminals of the coils of all of the relays of the four banks G, G, G, and G are connected to a common wire 9, connectedto an intermediate point of derivation of resistance connecting the poles of a constant-potential source of current of, for

example, one hundred and ten volts.v To two 'points of this resistance are connected the wires 12 12, across which are connected the tongue-contacts of the line receiving-relays The tongue of each of the main-line relays is electrically connected to a corresponding segment of the auxiliary This distributor has four segments corresponding to the four quadrants or groups of segments of the sunflower F and is provided with a trailer f, which is permanently electrically connected to the trailer f and is driven at the same speed as that trailer in any'suitable manner. The object of the auxiliary current-distributing device F is to prevent short-circuiting between two or more of the tongues of the main-line relays, which would take place were these tongues not all entirely disconnected. It will thus be seen that the selecting-relays G receive all signals coming over line 13,; relays G all signals coming over line 13,; relays G, all signals coming over line B,, and relays G all signals coming over line B The manner in which the main-line relays -lays continue to vibrate between their con tacts and as the trailer fcontinues to rotate around the sunflower F local impulses will be transmitted. through the coils of successive selecting-relays as the trailer passes from one segment to the next, transmitting to the coil of one relay a positive impulse, for example, to the coil of the next a negative impulse, and to the next a positive impulse, and so on throughout the series. The impulses thus distributed, however, will act to send the tongues of theselecting-relays against their back-stops; but when one of the mainline-relay tongues ceases to vibrate it will remain against the contact towhich it was last attracted, and thus cause an impulse of opposite polarity to the ,normal impulse to traverse the coil of the relay connected to the segment of the sunflower which happens to be beneath the trailer at the time that the tongue of the said relay is against the said contact. This action upon two relays of eaph group is produced in the case illustrated by the transmission of each signal and prints a character or otherwise records a'signal.

One or more segments of the groupsof receivihg-sunflower segments are connected to the-coils of the relays-S, S S and S in each bank of selecting-relays, which will be designated the signal-relays. The tongue and forward contact of each of these signaling relays is connected to one of a series of signal-bells S, S S and Storother signaling matically represented in one form the circuits and apparatus'located at the substations. It will be assumed that, the diagram Fig. 5 represents substation A,, where B represents a transmitter, and D a double-tongue main-line polar relay in which the tongues are electricallydisconnected, but both are vibrated in unison by the line-current. There islocated at this substation a'transmittingsunflower E provided with a trailer e This sunflower is provided with a group of segments,'which correspond in angular position to similar segments upon the central-station receiving-sunflower. The trailerc is electrically connected, asby wire 13, to one terminal of the coil of the main-line transmitter B,

while the other terminal of this transmittercoil is connected, as by wire 14,. to the plus pole X, of the local'direct-current supply. A small condenser 15, connected across the cirf cuit 13 14 near the transmitter-coil, and a resistance 16 in the circuit between the trailer and the transmitter-coil, improves the action Y of the transmitter-and red ucessparkin g at the trailer E. A similar condenser and resistance may be inserted in any of the other transmitter-circuits, if desired.

1 represents a key of atransmitting-keyboard; 5,, two normally open contacts, which are electrically connected to two segments of the transmitting-sunflower 6, represents the clapper, and Z, the clapper-magnet. E represents the clapper distributing -ring, provided with a trailer e electrically connected to the positive pole of the local-circuit sup- I ply. The clapper-segment e is electrically form may be substituted when desired. The

connected to the coil of the clapper-magnet, and this completes a circuit through its coils as the trailer e sweeps over it, which actuates the clapper 6 'and allows the key to be operated. For the rest of the time the key is locked; The construction and'operation of this keyboard is the same exactly as those employed at central and simply represent one form of transmitting device operating in conjunction-with the distributer, as any other keys of the keyboard are permanently connected, as by wire 17, to the negative pole X of the source of local direct current, as is also the negative terminal of the clapper-magnet coil-7 While at central the keys of the various keyboards are all permanently connected to their respective transmitter-coils. The current, however, may be made to pass through these keyboards in any desired' direction.

Apush-button, key, or other equivalent de- The substat2'0ns.--In Fig. 5 are diagramvice 5 is connected to the twelfth segment of .the sunflower E and operates the signal-bell s at central.

F represents the substation receiying-sunflower, and f its trailer. This sunflower is provided with a group of segments which normally occupy the quadrant of the sunflower corresponding in angular position to the segments upon the central-station transmitting-sunflower from which the substation receives messages;

i The trailers c and f are driven in synchronism with their corresponding transmitting and receiving trailers at central station and occupy identical angular positions on the substation-sunflowers that the trailers f and e do on the central-station sunflowers, so that at the instant the transmitting-trailer at the substation arrives upon a particular segment the receiving-trailer at central will at the same instantarrivp upon a corresponding segment. In practice, however, there would beaslight lag of one of these trailers relative to the I other for a variety of reasons, which it is not necessary-to explain. The segments of the substation-sunflowers are cut of such a width and the trailers driven at such a speed that, as in the case of the central-station sunflowers, the said trailers will pass over each seginent for each impulse generated by the dyname. In case the substation is at the end of a reflected mainline the trailers e andfare both preferably in practice so mounted that their angular positions may be automatically adjusted in such a manner that it the trailers vary from theangular position corresponding exactly to those at the central station they will be broughtback into the proper position, as hereinafter described. It these trailers are working upon a duplex line, the receiving-trailer only is adjusted relatively to the sending-trailer at the station from which it receives messages. 1

The trailer f is electrically connected by a. suitable contact to a wire 18, which connects to an intermediate point of the derivation of resistance 19, connected across the wires 20, leading from the source of constant-potentialcurrent supply 21.

The first eleven segments of the receivingsunflower'a re connected to the plus terminals of the coils of eleven relays, respectively, of abank of selecting-relays G while the nega-' tive terminals of the coils of these relays are all connected to a common wire 22, which connects to a tongue at of the receiving-line relay.--

H indicates a printer operated bythe selecting-relays G, the construction and operation of the printer in its most approved form being fully described in the application, Case M, Serial No. 85,520, filed December 11, 1901. This printer in Figs. 5 and 6 may be replaced by any other suitable recording device. The twelfth segment of the sunflower F is in this case connected to the positive terminal of the coil of the signal-relay 8,, which actuates a signal-bell s while the thirteenth segment is connected to the letter-finder relay, G

All of the rotating parts at this substationdirectly orindirectly, by means of a synchro-' nizer J -su ch, for example, as that shown afid described in the patent applications, Cases G and M, above referred to, and comprising in one form a small direct-current motor having a set of synchronizing-coils traversed by an alternating current for regulating the speed of the motor. One terminal of the alternat ing-current coils of this synchronizer isconnected, by means of a wire 23, to the tongue 01' of the main-line receiving-relay D,'while the other terminal is connected by wire 24 to a point intermediate between two condensers 25, which are connected across the wires 26, leading from the con'tactsof the tongue (1 to the terminals of the source of direct-current supply'2i. discharging of the condensers as the tongue (1' vibrates by the line-current between its contact will send an alternating current through thewires 23 24 to the synchronizer,-

andthus keep it in step with the line-current,

as fully described in Case G,.- referred to.v

This, however, is only one of many ways which may be employed for producing a local synchronizing current. The synchronizer may, when the line is short, be regulated by the mainline passing directly through its coil, in which case the relayD may have only one tongue. The rotating parts at the substation may, however, be driven in synchrm nism in any desired manner, and generally when the substations are upon duplex lines these parts may be driven directly from the dynamo if the dynamo is operated in synchronism; if not, then the transmitting-sunflower trailer and its related parts only are driven by the dynamo. The tongue at of the relay D is also kept vibrating in unison with the line-current through its .coils and produces a relayed alternating current in the circuit 22 to 29, sending to the successive selecting-relays electrical impulses of alternate polarity as the receiving-trailer passes from one segment to the next. Changing this order of the impulses by the reception of a signal causes the relays to act and operate the recording mechanism as described relative to p the central-station relays.

Operation: Before describing the operation of sending and receiving messages it will first be shown how the trailers at the substations are so adjusted that they occupy angular positions exactly corresponding to the trailers at central. This will be most clearly understood by referring to the diagram Fig. 7, where is represented on the left -of the vertical dotted line only so much of the central-station apparatus as operates to set the substation-trailers, while at the sub- The alternate charging and r stations A,, A A, and A onlysuch parts as ting the trailers are shown. The segments w',-'a:, m and at at central representthe thirteenth segment of each group of transmittersegments corresponding in angular position segments 0000 00 00,. The central letter-finder segments are electrically connected to the coils of their respective transmitters, while the letter-finder segment at each substation is connected to one terminal of the coils of the letter-finder relay G6, the other terminal diatepoint oflderivation of resistances connected across the terminals of a source of constant-potentialcurrent. The substationtrailers each are connected to the tongue of its substation-line relay D. The central letter-findersegments at, 00 cc, andw cause the transmitters B, B B and B respeccurrent once for each revolution of the central trailer, so that once in each revolution of the said trailer the substation-linerelay tbngues will be brought to rest successively as the trailer at central passes over the letter-finder segments,,and if the substation sun-flowers and trailersare set properly, so that the instant the central trailer arrives upon a letter-finder segment the corresponding substation-trailer will arrive upon its lettor-finder segment,then the letter-finder relay at that substation will receive current in such a manner as to operate it. If, however, the trailer at any substation is not properly set, the relay G0 will either not receive current at allor not in the same direction that it would if the substation-trailer came upon the letter-finder segment at the instant the substation-line relaycame to rest. Obviously, then, so long as the trailers and sunflowers are properly set the letter-finder relays 0 will receive an impulse to carry them against their forward contacts once in each revolution of a trailer and remain inactive or receive impulses to carry their tongues-against their back-stops when the trailers are not properly set, so that in this way it may be easily determined whether the proper setting has been eifected or not, as the letter-finder relay may be made to indicate this in any desired way. For example, it may be made to effect the automatic setting of thetrailenas fully described in the patent application Case G, or it may be made to ring a bell or make a signal of any kind which will indicate the proper or improper setting of the trailers.

sunflower at central is not driven by the dya letter-finder relziyavhich will act exactly in the same way its-described relative to the substations.

- The operation of'sending and receiving messages between centraland any of thesubstaare necessary to describe the operation of setnamo or does not rotate in synchronism with. the central dynamo fiitis also provided with to their respective substation letter-finder of the coils being connected to an intermetively, to suppress an impulse of their line- I too In case-the trailer of the receivingv tions is as follows: Let it be assumed, forexample, that an operator at the first keyboard at central desires to send a messagehto substation A,--that is, the substation shown in Fig. 5. In order to do this, he would operate,

. main-line current at its contact twice, each time for the length of time that the trailer is passing over the respective segments, and thus causing it to suppress or out out two impulses of the current upon the line B,. The effect ofthese suppressed impulses will be to" cause thetongue (1 of the receiving-relay D at substation A,', Fig. 5, to come to rest twice, and this will con r as the trailer f is passing over the segments of its sun flower ,corre- 'sponding to the segments at central station connected to the key operated. This will cause local impulses of opposite polarity to this normal impulse to pass through the coils of the selecting-relays connected to those segments which will send the tongues of these selecting-relays against their forward contact-stops and will thus complete circuits which will operate the'printer H and cause it to printa character corresponding to the sig nal thus transmitted. The operation of these selecting-relays in causing the printer to print the signals thus transmitted forms no immediate part of the present invention, but is fully described in the patent application, Serial No. 19,070, Case G, hereinbefore referred to. Operators .at the second, .third, and fourth keyboard in the same manner send messages to their respective substations as the transmitting sunflower trailer passes over the. respective quadrants or groups of segments to which these respective keyboards are connected. Then .if the operator at a substation, as indicated in Fig. 5, desires to transmit a message to central he operates his key 1,, which connects to his substationtransmitter two segment-circuits of the transmitting-sunflower, and thus causes the said transmitter to cut out impulses of the linecurrent corresponding to the segments so connected. This will cause the tongue of the main-line receiving-relay D at central to be brought to rest twice. and thus cause the local selecting-relays G to act and record the message, as was described relative to the serecord the messagestransmitted from sub station A,, for example, the selecting-relays connected to the second group the messages transmitted from substation A the relays connected to the third group. of receivingsegments the messages from substation A and the selecting-relays connected to the fourth group of receiving-segments the messages transmitted from substation A,. Any of the operators at central may transmit to their respective substations signals independent of the regularprinted messages-such, for example, as to indicate that a particular station is ready to receive or when one opera tor wishes to tell another to stop printing, &c.

This is done byclosing one of the push-buttons or keys 1' 4', which when operated completes the segment-circuit of the twelfth segment of the group of transmitting-segments corresponding to the push-button operated to the coil of the transmitter corresponding to the said push-button. This will cause the-said transmitter to suppress an impulse of the linecurrent, which will bring the tongue of the main-line relay at the substation to which the signal is sent to rest at the moment the receivingtrailer at the substation arrives upon the receiving-segment there corresponding to the twelfth segment at central. This will cause the relay S to send its tongue against its forward stop, which will complete a circuit from a local source of current through the-magnet-coil of a signahbell 8 01- an equivalent device. Each substation is provided with similar signaling-bells or other signaling devices,which are all operatedfrom their respective push-buttons or equivalent devices at central in a manner similar to that just described. When the sunflowers are set so that the transmitting-segments at that station occupy the sameangular position that the receiving-segments at that station occupy, then any message transmitted from that station will be recorded both at the station from which it-is sent and at the station at the dis tant end of the line, unless the recording apparatusat the transmitting-station-the printer, for example-is disconnected. In case that the sunflower-segments are set in this manner and the lines are simple lines or refiected wave-lines a substation cannot both transmit messages and receive them at the same time,-nor can central send and receive at the same time messages from all of the substa tions. If, however, the lines leading to the vastation can both transmit and receive messages at the same time, and in like manner the four keyboards or other transmitting devices and printers or other recording devices at cen-' tral canjsend and receive messages sim ultaneously from all of the substations. done by balancing the subst ion line-receiv-v ing relays as well as the corresponding central line-receiving relays, sothat the line-relay at any one station is neutral to all signals transmitted from that station and acted upon by all signals received at that station. A

, rious substations are duplexed, then any sub- This is I duplex substation is shown at A and at A .7

3 Fig. 8, in which the duplexing may be eifected in any suitable manner-as, for example, described in the patent application Case G and in the application Case J hereinbefore referred to. -.In any of the central stations herein shown if the line leading to the sub stations are duplex lines the receiving-trailer at central need not necessarilyrun in syn.-

chron'ism with the central transmittingtrailer,'in which case the receiving-trailer would be driven by a synchronizer just as in the case of a substation when the central syn- .chronizer would 0 eratein synchronism with thesubstation-dy amo. Thereare,however,'

ways of getting rid of the substation-dynamov segments at that substation, as shown by the dotted segments in Fig. 5, and at central until the group of transmitting-segments is one hundred and eighty degrees from the group of receiving-segments operating upon the same line. Inthis manner as the transmitting and receiving segments at any one station operating over the same line are located one hundred and eighty degrees apart and as the trailers travel together it is impossible for any confusion to occur, and this allows a printer to operate for a quarter of a revolution and the keyboard for another quarter of the revolution, alternately. This may be accomplished also by allowing the sending. and receiving segments at any sta tion to occupy 'the same angular positions and remain fixed while one of the trailers is 4 shifted one hundred and eighty degrees rela-.

tive to the other, as'will be readily underst'ood. In any case, however, the transmitting-segments at any station must correspond in angular position to the'receiving-segments to which they transmit messages.

From the foregoing special cases, as well as others that follow, it will be seen that the distribution is efiected by locating at central current-distributing devices, which bring the substations into communication with central successively at rapidly-recurring, periods of time, and locating at the substations distributing devices which will allow the local substation apparatus to be operative only at such recurring periods. It will also be seen that as each segment of the central distributing device corresponds to an impulse generated by the dynamo, and. as these segments are divided into groups, each of which corresponds to a substation, we may consider the successive impulses generated by the dynamo as divided up into corresponding groups, so that i if the central distributers have, for example, fifty-six segments divided into four groups every fifty-six impulses generated by the dynamo may be considered as made up of four groups of impulses, in which case the first group of impulses would operate the apparatus to communicate with one substation-the first-,,for exam ple--the second group the apparatu's for the second substation, and so on. In

they will receive messages will be half what it would be if there were only four, or twenty words a minute; but we may give some of the substations a twenty-words-per-minute service and others a forty-.words-per-minute service, in which case the trailers at the fortywords-per-minute substations would rotate twice as fast as the central trailer. The difference between the ease in which all of the substations receive and send messages at the same rate or speed and the ease in which the substations send and receive messages at differing rates or" speeds will be most clearly understood by referring toFigs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 illustrates the ease in which all substations receive the same service-that is, they all transmit and receive messages at the rate, for example, of forty words a minute. In this case the four shaded quadrants A at central represent the times that central is in communication with the substations and the shaded quadrant ateach of the substations A MA A the time that the substations may communicate with central, each substation-quadrant corresponding in angular position, as will be seen, to a quadrant at central. Then if-all of the trailers a to a. rotate at the same relative speed as the central trailer all substations will receive and transmitmessages at the same speed and each during such times only as the shaded quadrants are beneath the trailer. receive and transmit messages at one speed and some at another is shown in Fig. 3. For illustrating this principle the central-station distributing-sunflowers are assumed to be divided into eight sections, represented diagrammatically by the circle A. Now if there were eight substations, each of which had a distributer or sunflower which would allow it to communicate with central only during the interval represented by one of the shaded sec The ease in which some substations all reheive messages at, for example, the rate of twenty words a minute or half the speed as when there are only four substations. The reason for this is that doubling the' number of segments of the central distributer diminishes the angular velocity of the trailers onehalf, and this on account of the fact that however great the number of sections may be the trailer must pass over but one segment trailer.

for each impulse of the periodic line-current. If,however,two diametrically opposite shaded segments of the ring A be devoted to one substation, this substation-will receive sig nals twice in each revolution of the trailerA at central, Whereas the'otherswouldreceive messages only once in each revolution of each In the diagram Fig. 3 substations A and A are each given the use of two segments of the central distributer. Substation A uses segments a and a and substation A uses segments a and a in which case both substations A, and A would receive a fortyminute service;vbut to do this their trailers a, and a must rotate twice as fast as the central trailer at. The substations A A A and A, all have twenty-minute service, since the interval that each is active corresponds to' a single segment of the ring A and their trailers all rotate at the same speed as the central trailer a.

In Fig. 6 is shown a substation provided with sunflowers E and F which will accomplish the same thing as shifting the segments of thesingle ring or one-part sunflower shown in Figs. 4 and 5 without adjusting the angular position of either sunflower or trailer. Each of these sunflowers is made up of two parts, E and E and F and F respectively; The parts E and F are divided into fourteen segments, and these segments are connected, respectively, to the keyboard I and selectingrelays G in the same manner that the segments of the groups upon the sunflowers described in Figs. 4 and 5 are connected, while the parts E and F, are divided into four-segments each. The trailers e ('2 and f f all travel around the sunflower in the direction of the arrows in synchronism and are driven either directly or indirectly by the synchronizer J, shown in. this case directly connected to the main line, though it may be operated as shown in Fig. 5. The trailers e and f are, however, so geared or driven as to rotate at a speed four times as great as the trailers e and j so that for each quad rant passed over by the trailers e and f the trailers c and f will make a complete revolution of their sunflowers. Therefore the message transmitted from or received by this substation will depend, first, upon whichquadrant of the ring E is connected to the transmitter, and,second, upon which quadrant of the ringF is connected to the tonguecontact of the main-line relay. The shifting of the segments of the ringE is accomplished by the switch K, which is permanently connected to the positive. pole of the local cur- The segments of the receiving-sunflower ring A F, are connected, preferably, to a four-plug switch K, which is connected by the wire 27 to an intermediate point of derivation of resistances 30. The trailer f, is then electric ally connected permanently to the trailer f ,Therefore it will be seen that changing the switch K from one of the contacts is to the other will have the same elfect as shifting a fiftysix-segment sunflower-such as shown in Fig. 4, for example-from one quadrant to the next; or the changing of the switch K from the upper contact to the third contact or the contact connected to the third segment of the ring E, is the equivalent of adjusting the sunflower E,, Fi 5, until the segments of that sunflower are brought into the quadrant diametrically opposite to the one in which they are represented. The switch K is so arranged that at the same time it passes from one contact of a series It it will also pass from one contact to the other of the series is, so that the proper clapper-segments E will always be connected to the keyboard. The same explanation applies to the receivingsunflower and its group of selecting-relays, except that in this case there are no clappercircuits to be provided for, and the switch for connecting into the main-line-relay circuits the various segments of the ring F may, preferably, be a four-socket plug-switch. Thus the insertion of aplugin the first socket 10 on the left would connect in the local relay-circuit the first quadrant of the ring F and the insertion of a plug in the succeeding sockets, the second, third, and fourth quad-.

rants of the said ring, respectively.

In the case just described and shownin the diagrams Figs. 1 and 4. each line leading into central from a substation was provided with a separate main-line transmitter and mainline receiving-relay. Each of the receivingrelays was independently balanced, and each acted to record the signals transmitted from its corresponding substation only. Messages may, however, be transmitted from the central to various substations and from substations to central by employing at central a single main-line relay and transmitter. In such a. case the main-line receiving-relay is balanced for all of the lines leading to the substations. This case is represented in one form in the skeleton diagram Fig. 8, where B represents the main-line transmitter, and D the main-line receiving-relay at central and O the central dynamo. If all of the lines leading to the substations were connected directly to the wire 39, which traverses the coils of the main-line relay D and the relay balanced with respect to all of these lines, breaking the circuit at anyof the substationwould be inoperative.

transmitters would not be 'suiiicient to bring substations would overbalance the effect produced by breaking the circuit at any one Siation-as, for example, by transmitting the signal. Hence unless the'transmitters at the substations all act simultaneously the lines This is overcome by locating at central a distributing device which will give each of thesubstation-transmitters the exclusive use of the central receiving-relay for preferably equal periods of time. M represents this distributing device, (shown in the diagram as made up of four conducting-rings m, m m and m, each of these rings having a segment of conducting.

material,indicated by the shaded portion insulated from the rest of the ring.) In ring m this segment occupies the first quadrant and in rings m m and m thesecond, third, and fourth quadrants, respectively. All of these quadrants are electrically connected together and connected to a common wire 39, which traverses the coils of the main-line receivingrelay and contact of the transmitter, The metal portionsof each of these rings, insulated from the shaded segment, are 'all connected to a common wire 40, which connects to the wire 39 at some point, as 41, between the transmitter-contact and the dynamo. The substations,however, always receive current 3 from the dynamo at central in order to operate the synchronizer. This is effected by connecting all of the blank portions of the rings m to m" toa point in the dynamo-circuit .between the dynamo and the transmitter B, as described. This distributing device is provided with four trailers m to m to which are respectively connected the lines which lead to the substations A A A and A,. These trailers are drivenin synchronism with the dynamo in anysuitable way, preferably by being mounted upon the same shaft with the centralsunfiower-trailers. By this arrangement the main-line transmitters at the substations are given the exclusive use of the central receiving-relay D as their respective trailers pass over the successive shaded quadrants of the distributor. The central relay D is differentially wound, one of its coils being traversed by the real line 39 and the other by the artificial line D and is balanced in one way with respect to all of the lines as follows: All

of the lines are disconnected from the relay except the longest. when the artificial line D is adjusted until the tongue of the central relay comes to rest with the line disconnected from earth at the substation-transmitter and vibrates when the contact at that point is closed. The other lines are then built up by the addition of resistance and'capacity until they equal'the longest line, when they may be electrically connected to the line passing through the relay D which will then be balanced for all lines. This adjustment may be made permanent and needs no cortions.

rection for the weather. Another way of balancing the relay B with respect to all of the lines is to have three artificial lines each, respectively,equal to the difference between the longest line and the line to which any of the other lines is to be added and successively switch these lines into connection with the permanent artificial line D of the relay successively in such orderas the said relay is operated by the transmitter at the substa- This method of balancing the lines is illustrated in Fig. 8, where m" represents a distributer, and m its trailer, connected to the artificial line D which will successively connect the artificiallines d (1 and d to the permanent artificial line D"? in the mannerdescribcd. To make the case illustrated in Fig. 8 general, the two lines leading to substations A and A are shown as reflected wave lines, and those leading to stations A and A, are duplexed-that is, the main-line relays at the substations, as well as the one at central, are balanced by an artificial line and operate only by signals from the distant end of the line, in which case there is ordinarily a dynamo at each of the duplex substations, which generate current to operate 7 the relay at the distant end of theline. This dynamo, however, simply represents any source of alternating current, which may be derived from extra coils upon the printer driving-motor or may be derived from asource of direct current by any suitable currentchanger adapted to convert a direct into an alternating or pulsating current Lnasmuch as the artificial line D is ordinarily disconnected from earth in the case that the central receiving-relay is operated by the reflected wave-lines and is connected to earth in the cases in which it is operated by the duplex lines, it is necessary to provide some means by which this artificial line may at the proper time be connected and disconnected from earth. This is done by providing an auxiliary ring m divided into four insulated segments, two of which are connected together and connected to earth, while the other two are disconnected from earth. This auxiliary ring is provided with a trailer on, which is connected with the artificial line D, so that when this trailer arrives upon disconnected segments of the ring the said artificial line will connect: to earth, the segments connected to earth occupying positions corresponding to times when the receiving-line trailer is operated by the duplex lines, as shown. This device m is simply an auxiliary alfair and does not constitute an essential portion of the current-distributing apparatus and is only employed in the event of the lines being of such a mixed character. (Shown in Fig. 8.)

One formiof central-station connections and apparatus for transmitting and receiving messages to and from four substations by using a single central transmitter and main relay for all stations is shown in Fig. 9. In 

